1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a two piece seed boot for a seeding machine, wherein the high wear portion of the seed boot can be replaced as needed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Grain drills and air seeders are seeding machines for solid planting a crop. More specifically, the seeding rows are so close together as to prevent cultivation and/or other cultural practices. The seed is kept in a large hopper which supplies a plurality of seed meters. An individual seed meter is associated with each planting unit. The seed meter in turn directs the metered seed through a seed tube to a seed boot having a seed passage. The seed boot is associated with a furrow opener which forms a planting furrow. The seed boot directs the seed into the planting furrow which is closed by a furrow closing wheel.
Deere & Company, the assignee of the present patent application, currently manufactures and markets a 1560 Series grain drill. This grain drill is provided with a single disc opener and a single casting seed boot. The furrow opener forms the planting furrow while the seed boot maintains the planting furrow open as the seed is being introduced. The lower portion of the seed boot are in continual contact with the soil during planting operations and are subjected to higher rates of wear than the upper portion. As the lower portion of the seed boot wears away, the farmer is forced to replace the total seed boot casting.
With air seeders an air stream is used to direct metered seed and fertilizer to a planting unit. On some air seeders, manufactured and marketed by Deere & Company, the planting unit is almost identical to the planting unit used on the 1560 Series grain drill described above.